Here is a bit from one of many articles.

"Although only 10 percent of our respondents were men, we saw a higher salary for males in the nursing profession," Mee said.

The average annual salary for women was $53,900, whereas men reported pulling in $59,000, a difference that is likely due to their higher-ranking staff positions.

"We found that men had completed higher levels of education and held superior titles, such as nurse manager, supervisor or administrator," she said. "Additionally, more men had doctoral degrees-20 percent as compared to 16 percent of women. This is just further proof that education and position really do make a difference in salary."

In offering this information to its readers, Nursing2004 aims at providing nurses with the knowledge they need to see where they fall among their peers and to take steps to increase their standing if they feel they're not being properly compensated.

kayty2339 says ....

 

I hate the fact that just because I'm a female, when I get hired on to a job, I might be making dollars less than my male counterpart who has the exact same level of experience and education as me. And for what reason? Because he's stronger and can lift a heavy patient? I call BS on that one.

cdnurse says ...

".......salary for women was $53,900, whereas men reported pulling in $59,000, a difference that is likely due to their higher-ranking staff positions. "

"We found that men had completed higher levels of education and held superior titles, such as nurse manager, supervisor or administrator," she said. "Additionally, more men had doctoral degrees-20 percent as compared to 16 percent of women. This is just further proof that education and position really do make a difference in salary."

By the way, a la the "If you're not a nurse, don't call yourself one" topic, I must say that those who do not participate in hands-on patient care, whether men or women, are not, IMNSHO, still nurses, and their salary whatever it may be, should not count.   At best, they are either former nurses who are now educators, or administrators who used to be nurses and who currently manage nurses. Whichever it is, it's time that they were called something else so as not to be confused with real nurses...... 

cdnurse:  If you've time to look, can you supply any  cites re: articles on pay differentials?                Oh, and regarding     "  ...women. Makes me nuts. Women need to get some balls."  I can only say, " Be careful what you wish for,  you just might get it!" < roflmao!> and while I'm fond of mine, I can tell you that they come with problems likely as troublesome as do those accompanying ovaries, and the problems are often  truly crazy making!  LOL!                I hear what you are saying though, and I concur 100%.  Women are generally less confrontational, and those from other cultures even more so.  Both conditions lead to employers who have NO conscience AT ALL about using these characteristics to get the largest amount of labor for the least cost, despite burning out nurses like light bulbs.  Nurses will cease to be abused only when nurses learn to stick together and support one another... I disagree with the ANA positions on a number of items, but I am willing to support them in return for the support for appropriate staffing levels, safety for clients, and salary issues.

kayty2339 says ...

Korba, I wasn't directly replying what cdnurse posted. I followed the link to this posting from the reply she posted on the anonymous forum discussing this topic.

Sorry, that wasn't clear from your post.........

There was a posting on there which the person stated she/he knew of men who were making more than women in the same position. I've also heard it from many other people (not on this website) who have stated that men make more as nurses than women because they are more "in demand". This is what I've heard from other people who are nurses in my real life. I didn't look up statistics or factual documentation on this.

What people hear, or see on an occasion is not the same as studies with  documentation that can be assessed for accuracy and efficacy.  This "tribal knowledge' that 'everybody knows' is insufficient to draw any valid conclusions from, and I grow weary of nurses, who are supposed to be implementing 'evidence based' practice , announcing that because they 'read it rolling stone' (Oh, it must be true!) or that they heard it from their sister in law's half uncle twice removed, that it MUST be gospel.  Without citations, it is rumour, nothing more.

It is however statistically true that men make on average a dollar more per hour than a female with the same experience and qualifications--this is in all jobs as a whole, not specific to nursing. So I doubt that this sexism doesn't cross over into the nursing field as well.

While I have heard of men earning some percentage more than women, much of the reasoning behind this might (such as that which was revealed in the above article) be discovered if we knew who it was that was reporting it, what axe they had to grind, and what their research methodology was.  That's what citations are for.  Where is your documentation? Again, without citations, it is unfounded rumour, nothing more.

kayty2339 says ...

You're right Korba. No amount of sexism exists in this country. Everything is totally fair and balanced.

 

You know, it's easy for somebody to think that sexism, racism, etc. doesn't exist when they are not in the class that is recieving the descrimination.

It is also very easy to believe whatever strikes one fancy when one puts one's critical thinking skills in a box in the closet and gives credence, without evidence, to whatever comes along.....   I did not say that sexism did not exist, nor that all is right with the world; only that it is pointless to discuss at thing w/o knowing what one is discussing.  Numbers derived from anecdotal evidence are worthless when discussing ANY situation. While citing sources is more rigourous, it is the only worthwhile method of discussion as it is more likely to lead to some truth.  Analysing source material is, as I say, more rigourous; apparently too rigourous for some...

kayty2339 says ...

Excuse me, but I have two kids, work full time, and am going to school. You are right. It is too rigourous for me. I'm sorry if I don't have time to look up sources for you.

No, you wouldn't be doing it for me...  you'd be doing it for yourself...

Walt, did you take your medication today?

http://www.rnjournal.com/journal/rn_females_work_for_less_pay_than_males_.htm  

http://www.center4nursing.com/workforce/2007RNv2.pdf  go to page 17, salary by gender

Male physicians are paid 38% more than women physicians while male registered nurses are paid 10% more than women RN’s and female attorneys are paid 30% less than male attorneys.  source

http://menstrualpoetry.com/women-work-place-working-woman

I recently read a lengthy article that came in the mail from one of my nursing subscriptions that dealt with this subject.  Darn if I can find it now, it had the actual state by state stats.  Nursing isn't the only field that this applies to.  I was proud to support John McCain, he was the only candidate that the woman were actually paid MORE than their male counterparts, this was NOT true of any of the other candidates including our sitting CIC.

I just worked with a male nurse in ICU Monday who has been a nurse for 5 years. He makes more than me as a staff nurse, and I'm agency! I think maybe men do make more. This guy is making $9 more per hour than me. Oh, and I'm braking my back turning and lifting heavy pt's just as much as he is.

I think having a difference in pay between men and women depends on where you work. In a nursing home I used to work at, men made between $3 to $5 more per hour for the same job. At the hospital I am at now there is a starting pay for all nurses that is equal for everyone with the same experience. We get no pay for performance raises, just yearly raises and cost of living rasies. There is also a maximum that you can make within your job discription that halts your yearly raisies after 10 years of employment and from then on, you get just cost of living raises.....but our benefit package is out of this world compared to most.

At a competing hospital in our city, the nurses are in a union and from what I have heard from female nurses that we have hired that worked there, is that men make more money than women.

Some facilities actually have a policy in place that forbids discussing salaries......I think to prevent discrimination lawsuits.   But you are right, I am more interested in being a bedside nurse than management.  I have been House Supervisor in snf's and DID NOT LIKE IT.   I have been offered charge nurse positions......I like starting IV's, giving meds, drawing blood, putting in caths, and the garden variety things that we get to do.  The current nurse manager for our unit is a man, and one of the newer RN's (guy) is going for his Master's so he can go into management.  I know though, where I am at, I am well paid, and my salary is equal to that of other male RN's with similiar experience. 

But sadly, the statistics are that women do get paid less, even in the same positions, hence the "no discuss salary policy" in place at many institutions.  

ROTFL!!!!  Oh....I have missed you and Ginny.

nursewah says ...

Well Ginny,

I think that you are confused. Let me speak slowly for you, as I know you are a blonde. Don't you see how this works? I have never experienced sex discrimination, so it must not exist. I have had plenty of job offers, even though I am usually the oldest one there to be interviewed. In fact, my performance reviews have consistently graded me higher than much younger nurses. So, I have to conclude that age discrimination is also a fallacy. Sure, there were some jobs that I interviewed for that I did not receive an offer. I have to leave open the possibility that they just did not like me. Maybe they already had their quota of supermen. And once in a great while, a girl has turned me down for a date. I have to conclude that they were lesbians.

I am not a nurse yet. I really don't think anybody would listen or take me seriously if I filed a discrimination suit against hospitals for not paying women and men equally. Not only that, I actually want to get a job in this town when I graduate school. I have a feeling doing something like that will prevent that from happening. Now if I PERSONALLY knew I was discriminated against and actually had evidence to back it up, I WOULD do something about it.

I was stating to Korba that I don't have the time to research this FOR HIM. He was the one who wanted facts and figures shoved in his face in order to believe that this kind of discrimination actually does exist. I DON'T have time to research this in order to prove to somebody that I don't even know, on a message board that this is going on. Sorry.

Conuan, What are YOU doing to fix this problem? Have you researched it and do you have suitable evidence to bring up in court?

I disagree with you on the "complaining". I think just people talking about a problem and making it known to the public is a part of fixing it. If we just all sit back silent about it that's worse than talking about it (or complaining about it). Just because we might not be able to take a hospital to court for discrimination due to the fact that we don't have any evidence to back it up, does not mean the problem doesn't exist and it does not mean we shouldn't discuss the problem. I don't see it as complaining and whining. I see it as having a constructive discussion about the issue and hopefully it might bring awareness to some people who may not have know that it does go on.